The Man Behind the Name
2d Lt. Melvin L. Heinke served as co-pilot on the mission of 2 March 1944. When the aircraft was set ablaze by flak, Heinke bailed out with the rest of the surviving crew.
Shortly after landing, narrator Carpenter was informed by his French helpers that his co-pilot was safe and in the hands of a friend, reportedly en route to Calais. One of the men who visited Carpenter had also assisted Heinke directly.
The crew roster lists Heinke's disposition as MIA with a cross-reference to E&E No. 332, indicating he successfully evaded and filed his own report. The cover page of Carpenter's report notes Heinke was in Spain at Pamplona after completing his evasion.
Service record.
Missions flown.
The missions below are those we have been able to document for this airman, drawn from flight logs, mission records, and archival sources. It is not necessarily a complete account of every mission flown; gaps may reflect missing documentation, transferred assignments, or records lost to time.